Coaster

ABSTRACT

An improved coaster that is cling resistant and simultaneously transportable with a drinking vessel.

FIELD

The invention relates generally to drink coasters and more specifically, in one embodiment, to a coaster that both prevents adhesion to a drinking vessel or beverage bottle that has condensation on its surface and can be placed around the neck of a beverage bottle for easy carrying.

BACKGROUND

It has long been known that condensation from a drinking glass or vessel can cause damage to the surface of bars, tables or furniture upon which the glass or vessel is placed. Similarly, spillover from the contents of the glass or vessel can cause such damage. Numerous solutions to this problem have been proposed throughout history. One popular solution is the drink coaster.

Drink coasters have been used for years as a means to prevent condensation or spillover damage caused by drinking vessels. One common problem with standard coasters is their tendency to stick to the bottom of the vessel during use. This is most often caused either by the condensation from the vessel or its spilled contents forming a seal between the bottom of the vessel and the coaster. The surface tension of the liquid, together with the natural vacuum created between the coaster and the bottom of the vessel, is often strong enough to hold the coaster to the bottom of the vessel during use.

Multiple solutions have been proposed that include choice of coaster material for absorption of the condensation or spillover, means of elevating the vessel away from the coaster to prevent a seal from forming, sufficiently weighted coasters to overcome the surface tension and vacuum effect, etc. Such coasters are often difficult or expensive to produce as they can involve the use of multiple parts, expensive material or costly manufacturing processes. While coasters of this type can be cost effectively produced for individuals or residential use, they are often cost prohibitive for use by bars or restaurants that require large amounts of coasters on a yearly if not monthly basis.

While coasters come in all forms for both personal and commercial use, the vast majority of coasters are used by bars and restaurants that serve hundreds of drinks per business day. Such establishments often use hundreds of coasters in a single evening and given the regularity with which they are used, a certain portion of the coasters are therefore lost, stolen or destroyed on a daily basis. The number of coasters required on a yearly basis by such bars and restaurants necessitate that they be inexpensive and cost effective. Unfortunately, most coasters that are designed to prevent their adhesion to the drinking vessel are too costly to be used by most bars and restaurants.

Apart from their use to protect surfaces, coasters are a popular means of advertising. Given the number of coasters used by bars and restaurants, advertising on coasters is seen as an effective way to market to a captive and targeted audience. Not only do bars and restaurants advertise on coasters, many beverage manufactures will place their name, slogans and marks on drink coasters. Indeed, beverage producers find such advertising to be so effective that they will provide large numbers of coasters to bars and restaurants at no charge.

Because the typical non-stick type coaster is often made of multiple parts with raised surfaces or mesh-like material, their surfaces cannot effectively be used for advertising space. And unlike the majority of coasters used in bars and restaurants, printing or adhering a logo or advertisement on most non-stick type coasters is not an easy or inexpensive process. Beverage producers therefore have little interest in using or purchasing coasters that cannot effectively and efficiently be used for advertising.

At establishments that provide bar service, cocktail waiters and waitresses must carry drink coasters separate from the drinks they are serving. While certain cocktails may not require the use of a coaster, most beer bottles do because of the large amount of condensation often present on the bottle. Servers that deliver more than two drinks at a time most often will have to use a tray in order to deliver both the drinks and the coasters in one trip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the improved coaster positioned around the neck of a drinking vessel.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the improved coaster.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the improved coaster.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the improved coaster.

FIG. 5 is a close-up view of an embodiment of the improved coaster in use with a drinking vessel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, the improved coaster can be made from a single piece of material that is both simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Since the coaster can be made from inexpensive materials, it is both disposable and economical to produce in large quantities. The center hole helps prevent a vacuum from forming between the bottom of the drinking vessel and the coaster, thereby preventing the coaster from sticking to the vessel during use. The coaster can be made from an absorbing material such as paper, cardboard, cork, wood, wood pulp, cotton, felt, cloth, rubber, sponge, synthetic fibers and the like. Such material can further prevent the coaster from sticking to the bottom of the drinking vessel by absorbing the liquid collected at the base of the vessel and preventing it from forming a seal between the coaster and the vessel base.

Another embodiment provides a series of channels that help to disperse the spillover and condensation collected on the coaster, thereby expediting its absorption into the coaster. The channels can also help prevent the vacuum effect by breaking up the liquid seal at the base of the vessel which creates the vacuum. Similarly, since the channels can be located on both sides of the coaster, the channels located on the underside of the coaster provide further ventilation between the coaster center hole and the outside air to stop the vacuum effect from forming, even if a seal is formed at the base of the vessel.

The hollow center of the coaster has the added benefit of allowing it to be placed around the neck of the drinking vessel. This helps simplify the transportation of the coaster when multiple coasters are needed for one or more drinking vessels. For instance, when serving a bottle of wine to five people, a waiter can locate five coasters around the neck of the bottle leaving the other hand free to carry glasses or other items. Similarly, a waiter or waitress serving numerous beer bottles can locate the coasters around the neck of one bottle thereby allowing them to carry multiple bottles at once without use of a serving tray. Alternatively, bartenders can put a coaster around the neck of each bottle when multiple bottles are being delivered to separate individuals.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the coaster 100 as it is located around the neck 180 of the drinking vessel 170 having a shoulder 190 and bottom 195. The neck 180 is positioned through the coaster center hole 110 thereby allowing it to rest on the shoulder 190 of the drinking vessel. Depending upon the size of the drinking vessel 170, length of the neck 180 and circumference of the coaster center hole 110, numerous coasters 100 can be located around the neck 180 of the drinking vessel 170.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the coaster 100 with center hole 110, inner edge 220, outer edge 230, top surface 240 and bottom surface 250. The drinking vessel 170 can rest upon either the top surface 240 or bottom surface 250 depending upon the orientation of the coaster 100. The center hole 110 prevents a vacuum from forming between the bottom 195 of the drinking vessel 170 and the top surface 240 or bottom surface 250, again, depending upon the orientation of the coaster 100 during use. The center hole 110 also fits around the neck 180 of the drinking vessel 170 such that the coaster 100 can be simultaneously transported with the drinking vessel 170. Both the top surface 240 and bottom surface 250 can be made from an absorbing material such as paper, cardboard, cork, wood, wood pulp, cotton, felt, cloth, rubber, sponge, synthetic fibers and the like.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the coaster 300. The outer edge 340 can be made substantially square in shape to increase the surface area of the top surface 320 and bottom surface 330 thereby increasing the amount of space available for the inclusion of text, designs or advertising. The added surface area of the top surface 320 and bottom surface 330 can also increase the absorption capability of the coaster 300. The outer edge 340 can be in different geometric shapes including a star, triangle, acute triangle, equilateral triangle, hexagon, obtuse triangle, octagon, parallelogram, pentagon, rectangle, rhombus, right triangle, semicircle, trapezoid, oval, quadrilateral, heptagon, kite and the like. Similarly, the inner edge 350 can be in different geometric shapes including a star, triangle, acute triangle, equilateral triangle, hexagon, obtuse triangle, octagon, parallelogram, pentagon, rectangle, rhombus, right triangle, semicircle, trapezoid, oval, quadrilateral, heptagon, kite and the like.

FIG. 4 shows yet another embodiment of the coaster 400. Both the top surface 410 and bottom surface 420 of the coaster 400 can include a plurality of top channels 430 and bottom channels 440 so that the coaster 400 can function regardless of its orientation. The top channels 430 and the bottom channels 440 can extend radially from the coaster inner edge 450 to the outer edge 460. Both the top channels 430 and bottom channels 440 increase the surface area of the top surface 410 and bottom surface 420 thereby adding to the absorption capability of either surface. Both the top channels 430 and bottom channels 440 also help move excess liquid away from saturated areas of the coaster 400 to areas that are dry, thereby further adding to the absorption capability of either surface.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the coaster 400 when it is in use, together with a close up sectional view of a portion of the coaster 400 and drinking vessel 170. During use, the bottom 195 of the drinking vessel 170 contacts the top surface 410 of the coaster 400. Liquid condensation or spillover from the drinking vessel is absorbed into the coaster 400 through both the top surface 410 and the top channel walls 510 of the top channel 430. The top channel walls 510 help draw the liquid away from both the top surface 410 and the drinking vessel 170 thereby reducing the seal caused by the liquid at the location where the drinking vessel 170 contacts the top surface 410 of the coaster 400. The top channel walls 510 also draw liquid out of and away from the top channel space 520 created between the top channel walls 510 and the bottom 195 thereby allowing air to pass through the top channel space 520 to the coaster center hole (not shown) thereby reducing the vacuum that can be formed underneath the drinking vessel 170. The plurality of top channels 430 and bottom channels 440 are included to help draw the liquid away from the drinking vessel 170 across the entire top surface 410 and bottom surface 420, depending upon the orientation of the coaster 400, and further prevent the vacuum from forming between the top surface 410 and the bottom 195 of the drinking vessel 170.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention not be limited by the specific embodiments described herein. 

1. A coaster comprising: a coaster body having: a top surface suitable to support a beverage container; a bottom surface suitable to engage a substantially flat surface; an interior cavity formed by said coaster body such that said cavity intersects both said top surface and said bottom surface to form a hole; and said top surface affixed substantially parallel to said bottom surface, said interior cavity substantially centrally positioned on said top surface and said bottom surface.
 2. The coaster of claim 1, wherein said top surface and said bottom surface comprises an absorbent material, said absorbent material is selected from a group comprising paper, cardboard, cork, wood, wood pulp, cotton, felt, cloth, rubber, sponge and synthetic fibers.
 3. The coaster of claim 1, wherein said top surface and said bottom surface form an outer edge, the shape of said outer edge is selected from a group comprising a circle, square, star, triangle, acute triangle, equilateral triangle, hexagon, obtuse triangle, octagon, parallelogram, pentagon, rectangle, rhombus, right triangle, semicircle, trapezoid, oval, quadrilateral, heptagon, and kite.
 4. The improved coaster of claim 1, wherein the shape of said cavity is selected from a group comprising a circle, square, star, triangle, acute triangle, equilateral triangle, hexagon, obtuse triangle, octagon, parallelogram, pentagon, rectangle, rhombus, right triangle, semicircle, trapezoid, oval, quadrilateral, heptagon, and kite.
 5. The coaster of claim 1, wherein said top surface and said bottom surface form an outer edge, the shape of said outer edge is different than the shape of said cavity.
 6. The coaster of claim 1, wherein said cavity is suitable for engaging a bottle neck.
 7. The coaster of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of channels positioned on said top surface and said bottom surface, said plurality of channels extend radially from said interior cavity across the length of said top surface and said bottom surface.
 8. A coaster for supporting a container comprising: a substantially circular body having: a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer edge, and an inner edged, wherein the diameter of said inner edge is less than the diameter of said outer edge.
 9. The coaster of claim 8, wherein said top surface and said bottom surface comprises an absorbent material, said absorbent material is selected from a group comprising paper, cardboard, cork, wood, wood pulp, cotton, felt, cloth, rubber, sponge and synthetic fibers.
 10. The coaster of claim 8, wherein, the shape of said outer edge is different than the shape of said inner edge.
 11. The coaster of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of channels on said top surface and said bottom surface extending radially from said inner edge to said outer edge.
 12. The coaster of claim 8, wherein said top surface and said bottom surface are suitable to support a beverage container and suitable to engage a substantially flat surface.
 13. The coaster of claim 8, wherein the diameter of said inner edge is suitable for engaging a bottle neck.
 14. A method for manufacturing a coaster from a substantially flat absorbent material comprising: forming a body having a top side and a bottom side; and cutting a hole in said body that is substantially centrally located on said body and extending from said top side to said bottom side.
 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming a plurality of channels on said top side and said bottom side that extend radially from said hole.
 16. The method of claim 14 where said body is a shape selected from a group comprising a circle, square, star, triangle, acute triangle, equilateral triangle, hexagon, obtuse triangle, octagon, parallelogram, pentagon, rectangle, rhombus, right triangle, semicircle, trapezoid, oval, quadrilateral, heptagon, and kite.
 17. The method of claim 14 where said hole is a shape selected from a group comprising a circle, square, star, triangle, acute triangle, equilateral triangle, hexagon, obtuse triangle, octagon, parallelogram, pentagon, rectangle, rhombus, right triangle, semicircle, trapezoid, oval, quadrilateral, heptagon, and kite. 